Refrigerant distributor



May 29, 1951 3, 1- 2,555,055

REFRIGERANT DISTRIBUTOR Filed May 14, 1948 'FIG.3

INVENTOR. F 0 aw Patented May 29, 1951 REFRIGERAN T DISTRIBUTOR Frank C. Ort, Marcellus, N. Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 14, 1948, Serial No. 27,024

This invention relates to a refrigerant distributor for refrigeration systems and more particularly to a liquid refrigerantjdi'stributor for supplying liquid refrigerant to separate'circuits of a direct expansion evaporator.

In distributors heretofore provided, it is extremely difficult to assure adequate and uniform distribution of refrigerant to the various evaporator circuits when the refrigerant requirementof each circuit is small due to light loading of the evaporator. This is a frequent occurrence in low temperature applications. To eliminate inefficiencies in the refrigeration system, it is essential that each evaporator circuit be provided with a proportionate supply of refrigerant at all times.

The chief object of the present invention is toprovide a refrigerant distributor for a direct expansion evaporator which assures steady and uniform distribution of refrigerant to separate circuits of the evaporator under all loading conditions of the evaporator.

An object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant distributor including a member adapted to reduce the velocity and turbulence of refrigerant entering the distributor before its distribution to the various circuits of the evaporator thus assuring uniform distribution to separate circuits.

A further object is to provide a refrigerant distributor capable of distributing refrigerant uniformly to separate evaporator circuits under conditions of'light load of the evaporator.

A still further object is to provide a refrigerant distributor which may be manufactured at low cost. Other objects of my invention will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a distributor for a refrigeration system which comprises a casing having an inlet therein through which refrigerant is discharged within the casing. Tubes extend within the casing to receive refrigerant therein, each tube supplying refrigerant to a separate circuit of the evaporator of the refriger ation system. A bafiie is disposed within the casing between the tubes and the inlet. Enter- 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-126) 2 of gaseous from liquid refrigerant and assuring equal distribution of liquid refrigerant to the various circuits of the evaporator. Gaseous refrigerant flows around the ends of the bafile and ing refrigerant strikes the baffle thereby separating to some extent gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant. Liquid refrigerant so separated may pass throughopenings in the baffle to the tube chamber of the distributor. The bafiie in effect separates refrigerant into two streams flowing toward the end walls of the casing. The refrigerant streams strike the end walls of the casing with sufficient velocity which, in addition to the abrupt change of direction, causes further separation of gaseous and liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant passes around the ends of the bafile into the tube chamber. The velocity and turbulence of entering refrigerant is thus reduced permittingthe separation distributes itself uniformly to the various tubes.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a refrigeration system including the distributor of my invention;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the distributor partially broken away to disclose the interior thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view longitudinally of the distributor; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view laterally of the distributor.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown the usual refrigeration system including a compressor 2 connected by line 3 to a condenser 4. Refrigerant flows from condenser 4 to a receiver 5; refrigerant flows from receiver 5 through liquid line 6 to a thermal expansion valve 7 or other suitable expanding means. Refrigerant from eX- pansion valve 1 flows through line 8 to liquid distributor 9 which distributes liquid refrigerant uniformly to the various circuits of evaporator It]. Refrigerant, after its passage through the various circuits of evaporator I, is collected in a header I! and returned through suction line I 2 to compressor 2. The expansion valve l is regulated by means of a thermal sensitive bulb l3 disposed adjacent suction line [2.

Distributor 9 consists of a cylindrical casing Hi, the ends of the casing being closed by means of closures l5, threaded or welded thereto. Tubes I! extend within casing I l and are connected to the various circuits of evaporator If! to permit liquid refrigerant within the distributor to be distributed uniformly to the various circuits ofthe evaporator.

A baffle I8 is disposed within casing l4 and serves to separate casing M into two chambers, l9 and 20, casing l4 contains an inlet 2! through which refrigerant supplied through line 8 enters entrant chamber 20. Baffle [8 extends longitudinally of casing [4, its ends being spaced from the closures I 5 as shown at 22 and 23. So disposing baffle 18 permits refrigerant to flow around its ends into tube chamber 19.

Battle I8 is provided with flanges 24 and 25 to assist in securing the baffle in desired position within the casing, such flanges permitting a tight fit to be secured. Openings or slots 26 are formed inflange 25 for a purpose hereinafter described. It will be appreciated other forms of openings may be employed if desired. Bafiie 18 may be soldered or welded to assure that it retains desired position within the casing Hi. If desired, baffle l8 may be formed of suitable resilient fiexible metal; in such case, baffle 18 may be biased of the system and a horizontally extending bafto assure that flanges 24 and 25 are urged strongfie disposed between said tubes and the inlet 1y against-the interior-wall of thecasingthereby. within. the path .Of enter n refr r n Said holding theebaiile in desired position; a fle extendin 'l tud ly of the..casine and Refrigerant is discharged from line B into being spaced from the end walls of the casing, casing l4 through inlet 21. Velocity of enter-1 said.- baflle having openings therein to permit ing refrigerant is such that it strikes baffle l8 refrigerant to flow from one side of the bafiie to with considerable force thus creating turbulencew its opposite side, entering refrigerant striking in the refrigerant and causing. some.-.portion .of thelbafile to separate. some portion of gaseous the gaseous refrigerant to separate. .from,.the l0 refrigerant... fronnthe liquid refrigerant, said liquid refrigerant. Liquid refrigerant so sepbaflle being so-soonstructed and arranged as to arated may flow through openings 26 into tube direct streams of refrigerant toward both end chamber 19. Baiile I8 serves to dividethe'stream Walls 'ofthe=casing to strike the same, again of entering refrigerant into separate streams.- Creating'turbulence while reducing the velocity flowing toward the end walls of casing I4. Such of the streams of refrigerant to separate gaseous streams .of refrigerant strike theend walls of. from...liquid refrigeranacasing I4 formed bylclosures lfiwithconsiderable 3. In a distributor fora refrigeration system,..- force thus again dissipating velocity of flow and" the combinationof ahorizontally extending cascreating turbulence of refrigerant there by seping having. .a refrigerant inlet, closures sealingarating. gaseous. refrigerant fromliquid'refriger Nthe ends of the casing, .tubes extending upward ant. The liquid refrigerant so separatedpasses within the casing to receive refrigeranttherein, around the ends of baiile i8 into. tube chamber each tube supplying refrigerantto a separate :9 and isdistributeduniformly to the. various circuit of the evaporator of the system and a tubes l'lthus permitting uniform distribution horizontally extending bafile extending longiof liquid refrigerant to the various circuits of 25. tudinally within the :casing disposed between the evaporator it. Gaseous refrigerant separated tubes and the inlet and. having a length less. fromthe liquid refrigerant in chamber 20 flows han the length of the casing to p 0 D around the end Walls of baflle l8 and distributes spa s betWeen the ends of the baffle. and the.

itself uniformly tothe-various tubes l'l. 9 0 11 s s lin the end of t .casing, n r- My invention provides a novel refrigerant 0115. 30 mg refrigerantxstriking the b aflie...withv sufficient tributor for direct expansion evaporatorssconforce Separate SOmePOI'tIOIIf ga e us iretaining a plurality of circuits which maykbe fligerant therefrom-,some portion. of liquidremade at low cost.- The distributor so provided fl'igel'ant being free. to fiOW ough openingsin assures uniformxand adequate distribution of bamerato the-tubesr fl e bemg=S0..con.--. refrigerant to the Various evaporatingcircuitsflso. structed andarranged. as...t o.divide thelgreater; evenunder conditions. ofhght load portlon of the refrigerant nto streams flowing. orator such as oocursfrequently in lowtem* toward and Stnkmgmh? eld-closlflresto p a peraturerefrigeration applications; Provision: agam gaseous rlefngemnt ofthe baifle assures that the velocity and turtoward tubes" g v 4. In. .a distributor. for: refrigeration. systems bulence of l1qu1d refngerant enteringthe d1s-' tributor is utilized to separate gaseous from: the combination-of ahorizontally. extendlng.cas-- liquid refrigerant. The velocity and turbulence g g gf di g fif sfig fi gg zhg ggfifi 2; 8 g ift ,zfi g g i 5? I receive. refrigeranttherein, each. tube supplying y n 5 6 2 an e f refrigerant to aseparatecireuit.of the evaporator-.- casmg ms assl-rmg um 01m 5 u u on 0 ofthe systemand a horizontallyextending baffle.

liquid refrigerant to the Various tubes leading disposed betweensaid tubeseand-the-inlet.within. t0 e cllcuits of the eYapomtorn the. path. of entering.refrigerant saidibaffle hav- Whlle I have descrlbed a prefened embodl' ing. upper andlowen flanges the flanges being- W 9 y m Q it will be Pmdeljstood my flexed against. the interior .Walliof the casing to invention is not limited thereto since it may be retainnthe: baffledin desired posit-Lon; said bamefl otherwise embodied within the scopeof the folextending longitudinally. fthe casing, andbeing lowing elaime. spacecL fromsthe end. wallsof the. casing, enter- I claim: ing. refrigerant. striking-the.v baffle to separate- 1, In a distributor for a refrigeration system; some portion of gasegus refrigerant, from th the combination of a horizontally eXtending'ca$-- liquidrefrigerant said bafiie beingso-constructed.

ing having an inlet-t through, W115ch and arranged. asato direct streams of refrigerant;

frigera t e ter the Casing, tubes-extending towards. thev endwalls. of -the casing to strike ward within the. casing to receive. refrigerant. theisameipagamncreating ,turbulence while herein, each e Supplying. refrigerant to -00 ducingthevelocity-of.thestreams'ofrefrigerantv separ t C rcuit of t vevaporator 0f the System; to separate gaseous from liquid. refrigerant.

and. a horizontally extending baflle disposed within the casing. extending longitudinally there- FRANKC,

of between .the. tubesand the inlet, said baffle having upper. and. lower. flanges, .said flanges REFERENCES .CITEIll.

fittingeagainst the..interior wallof vthecasing, T saidlower .flange having. openings 7 thereinv to ggt fi are of record m the permit flow of liquidrefrigerant from one side.

of the. baffle to the opposite side thereof. UNITEDSTA'I'ES PATENTS 2. In a distributor for a refrigeration. system, Number Name Date the combination of a horizontally extending eaS- 1 2,063,380. Hoesel Dec. 8, 1936 ing having a refrigerant inlet, a.plurality of tubes 2,126,364 Witzel Aug. 9, 1938 extending upward within the. casing to receive. 2,193,696, Ramsaur 12, 1940 refrigerant. therein, each tube...supplying re-. 2,220,595 Andersen i- Nov.i5,1940

frigerant t0.a, separate circuit of the evaporator 2,461,876 Boyle- Feb. 15, 1949 

